San MArcos River Clean Up Trashure Hunt

[archman]

I'm a "regular" at the Motel 6, for my frequent jaunts to Aquarena. They're cheap and friendly, and you can take Jackson St. from there straight to Thorpe, bypassing all the feeder road/freeway traffic completely.
http://local.google.com/maps?li=d&q=from:+San+Marcos,+TX+to:+1321+N+I+H+35,+San+Marcos,+TX+78666

It doesn't show up on many online travel booking sites, but I can get it via Orbitz.

 

[Hemlon]

We might be able to go. My sweetie may not WANT to, however. She's been pretty busy lately with work stuff.

If a lone diver goes, will they pair you up?

 

[parrotheaddiver]

We might be able to go. My sweetie may not WANT to, however. She's been pretty busy lately with work stuff.

If a lone diver goes, will they pair you up?

When you sign up just tell the volunteers you are with the Swamp Divers. After the group gets their part of the river you go in as a group. No worry there were singles last year

 

[redacted]

While we are talking about the cleanup, might want to think about how to handle broken glass. I was thinking about putting a plastic jug, milk or soda with top cut off, inside my collection bag. I usually just pick up the collectable bottles and dont deal with the problem of broken glass.

 

[Hemlon]

When you sign up just tell the volunteers you are with the Swamp Divers. After the group gets their part of the river you go in as a group. No worry there were singles last year

Cool...Thanks, Parrotdiver! I look forward to meeting all of you!

 

[Toecutter]

So the Swampers are going to go in as a group? Anyone have advice on a good place to park a 30' camper? How long would it take to get a quick look at Aquarena while I am there? I would like to get involved with that this year.

 

[parrotheaddiver]

So the Swampers are going to go in as a group? Anyone have advice on a good place to park a 30' camper? How long would it take to get a quick look at Aquarena while I am there? I would like to get involved with that this year.

The only one I know of is about 15 min east of San Marcos http://www.leisurecamp.net/

Aquarena Springs is free to go in and look around. The University bought it and the place is really run down. I took Dee out there a few weeks ago. I hadn't been in about 8 years and I couldn't believe how bad it looked. There was so much funk on top of the water you couldn't even see the fish. There is some kind of blind salamander and some other endangered species in the river so no one can clean it up cause you might kill a salamander. I am sure I will get flamed over that statement but the spring and the river were so beautiful at one time until the arrival of the enviromentalist. Sorry got off track. You will need to take the course to dive in the Spring but it it free to walk around the gounds.

 

[jcpol]

I checked TheDiveShop's web site. Except for meeting at the Lion's Club at 9 am, I see no details for the newbies amongst us. What's the usual routine for these? How much time underwater? One tank should be enough for a river, right? What interesting/unusual trash items have people found? Anything valuable? Is it finders keepers? Sounds like fun, but I'm new and would appreciate details.

Jim

 

[parrotheaddiver]

I checked TheDiveShop's web site. Except for meeting at the Lion's Club at 9 am, I see no details for the newbies amongst us. What's the usual routine for these? How much time underwater? One tank should be enough for a river, right? What interesting/unusual trash items have people found? Anything valuable? Is it finders keepers? Sounds like fun, but I'm new and would appreciate details.

Jim

Most of the information has been covered in this thread. Just show up, sign up, and dive. If you have specific questions please post them and we will try and answer them. Time underwater...well it is not a deep river we spent about 1 1/2 hrs above and below the surface in the river. One tank should do it. You can keep what you find but beer cans and paper and stuff is not high on the "keeper" list. Last year someone in our group found a full corked bottle of wine. Mostly you find shoes,sunglasses,clothing, towels and plenty of beer cans. Be sure you bring GLOVES.

High on the 'keeper' list are the prizes they give away after the BBQ.

 

[archman]

I hadn't been in about 8 years and I couldn't believe how bad it looked. There was so much funk on top of the water you couldn't even see the fish. There is some kind of blind salamander and some other endangered species in the river so no one can clean it up cause you might kill a salamander. I am sure I will get flamed over that statement but the spring and the river were so beautiful at one time until the arrival of the enviromentalist.

Ha ha, if you think it looks ugly now, you should have seen it last year, or the year before. We're busy as bees cleaning all the introduced invasive plants out, which took the place over decades ago. It might have been "prettier" once, but it sure wasn't natural. All that "funk" is submerged vegetation that grows to the surface and then stops... mostly. When the theme park owned the place, they artificially "mowed" the grass down to make it look more appealing. More fakery.

FYI, most of the snails in the Comal and San Marcos aren't native either, nor are many of the plants. Through some amazing luck, the snails at Aquarena are still mostly all local, probably 'cuz they're upstream and protected by a spillway. The snails will probably be put on a protected list soon.